Adjustable automobile antenna



Jun 6, 1944. v N J. E. BARTH 2,350,866

ADJUSTABLE AUTOMOBILE ANTENNA Filed Jan. 14, 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet l June 6, 1944, j J. E BARTH 2,350,866

I ADJUSTABLE AUTOIOBILE ANTENNA Filed Jan. 14, 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 extension from Within the vehicle.

Patented June 6, 1944 7 Anms'msm Autonomic meme Jaya. 1mm, Philadelphia, Pa, 'nllgnor to m.

co Radio and Television Corporation, Phila- .delphia, Pa... a corporation Application January 14, 1942. Serial No. 428,755

5 Claims. (Cl. 250-33) This "invention relates 'to improvements in radioreceivingantennae, and has especial reieren'cei'to extensible and retractable serials which may be usedon automobiles or other vehicles.

More particularly, the invention is concerned with devices of the typewhich may be controlled from within the vehicle, and is especially concerned with the positioning and operation of the antenna elevating mechanism.

Frequently it is.desired to raise or lower the antenna of an automobile radio receiver while driving, or to adjust the extension thereof to suit varying conditions of signal reception, and a number of antenna devices are now being marketed which provide control of the antenna However, the positioning of the actuating mechanism is so inconvenient or remote that actuation of the device while drivingconstitutes a definite hazard, as in doing so the driver must reach out to some unhandy position, with a consequent distraction of his attention or obstruction of his vision. In addition, many of the actuating mechanisms requireclose attention by the driver becauseof the complexityof their operation, or the necessity forrepeated'actuation.

With the above in mind, it is the primary object of the present invention to provide an extensible aerial,1"the" actuating mechanism of which is conveniently placed for ready actuation during driving.

More particularly, the invention has as an object the provision of an automobile aerial assembly, in which the elevating mechanismis installed near the floor of the car, adjacent to the left leg of the operator, and which (with the exception of the operating handle) is completely hidden in the generally unused space behind the automobile kick-pad.

Furthenit is an object of the invention -to provide an antenna assembly which enables the extensible antenna per se to be mounted in the vantages, will be best understood by a consider:

ation of the following description taken together with the accompanying drawings, wherein is illustrated a preferred embodiment of the invention. v F

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of the aerial Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional view of the extensible antenna per se, and shows one way in which it may be'mounted on the cowl of 9. ve-

ing mechanism and its mounting on an autostitutes a bearing therefor.

a lower stop portion 1 of greater diameter than mobile, with the pick-pad removed for the purpose of illustration;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken horizontally abovethe actuating mechanism; and

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the reel, with a portion of the housing broken away to better illustrate certain portions of the mechanism.

With particular reference to the drawings, Figs. land 2 show that the antenna may comprise two extensible sections 3 and 4, and a fixed I stanchion tube 5, within which the upper sec- 1 tions nest when retracted. As clearly appears in Fig. 2, (which shows the antenna completely extended) section 4 is provided with a crimped portion 6 at the upper end thereof. which is of a size to fit snugly about the rod 3, and con.-

Rod'3 has in turn the upper part of said rod, which serves to positively limit the extension of this rod with relation to section 4. Tl1e' stop-bearing joint provided between section 4 and stanchiontube 5 is exactly similar, and, therefore. will not be particularly described. An actuating tape or cable 8 extends up from the elevating mechanism, generally designated by 1 the reference character 8, through the tube sections 4 and 5' and, is fixed to upper section 3, as by-spot-weldmg or the like.-- A ball tip to is fixed to the upper end of section 3, and is adapted to stop against the upper end of tube 4, thereby causingretraction of sections 3 and 4 within tube 5,

when the actuating cable is pulled inwardly.

As will be seen from Figs. 1 and 2, the above described antenna structure is firmly clamped to and insulated from the metal of the automobers l2 and ii are engaged with threads it formed on the crimped end of stanchion tube 5, and a rubber washer Ha, grooved to receive the edge of cowl I I, is interposed between the clamping members. at I5, is fixed to a short length of adapter tube I6, by means of the nut l'l.

The actuating mechanism for v the antenna, and its novel association with the-automobile body, will now be described. The antenna, per pivoted on pin 40 and se, extends through the automobile cowl H at v p a convenientdistance behind the hood and firewall, diagrammatically indicated-in Fig. 1 at it and I9, respectivelsn. This mounting is, as

and might be done in any one of several different ways.

A pinion 31 is fixed to the reel operating shaft 38 (which extends through plate 21) and is driv- The lower end of tube 5, threaded 5 ingly engaged by a sector gear 39 of relatively large radius as compared with the radius of pinion The sector gear is pivoted to base plate 21 by meansvof a pin 40 andis adapted for actuationby'rthe operating handle '24, which is also is secured to the sector gear by a pin 4 I.

The radius of gear 39 is so chosen with relation to'that of pinion 31 (approximately a to 1 ratio) that the 70 movement provided for sector 39,

mentioned above, at the left sidepof the driver;'' '15 is'sufllcienttcij obtain full extension of the anand although the invention is primarily concerned with the location of the actuating mechanism, it will be obvious that the aerial is preferably located directly thereabove' andvin tenna when the ;,handle is moved to its lowermost position, and to provide complete retraction ,or the antenn'a'iiponmovement of the handle to its upper limit. In the device illustrated, a moveline with the forward door-framing member 20, 0 ment of the operating handle of approximately located at the leftside of the driver's position between the outside wall 2| of the automobile and 8 inches will-efl'ecta four foot extension of the aerial. This ispas 'broughtbutabove, of decided advantage as it enablesthe antenna to be controlled with aminimum of efiort, and thereby that part of the interior finishing which is gen- 25 contributes to the increased safety of operation erally known as the kick-pad, shown at 22. This so-called kick-pad is a sheet of fibrous or other material disposed adjacent to the driver's feet and legs when in driving position. As may be hollow wall structure withinwhich the actuator is disposed when it is attached to the door frame 20. A slot 23 is cut in this kick-pad to accommodate the operating handle 24, which is proprimarily afforded by the novel positioning of the antenna actuating mechanism;

From the foregoing, it will be evident that this invention provides a controllable antenna strucseen in Fig. 4, the elements 2| and-2 2 form a ture, the actuating mechanism of which i so placed as to practically eliminate the hazard formerly attendant to actuation of such .devices during driving.

,. In addition, the mechanism lends itself well to vided with a suitable oifset 25. It will be seen inconspicuous mounting in generally unused from Fig. 1 that the actuating device is located a little above the floor line 26, which so places the handle 24 asto make it within easy reaching distance of the driver's left hand. with a driver space, and enables an antenna, controllable from within the vehicle, to be mounted in the attrac tive side-cowl position with little or no connection linkage between the main stanchion tube and of average height, no bending is necessary, and 40 the reel.

in addition no movements are made across the drivers field of vision. Thus, the actuator is conveniently located behind the readily removable kick-pad, and is completely concealed within otherwise unused space.

As best seen in Figs. 3 and 4, the device 9 comprises a main base plate 21, provided with rearwardly extending portions 28 which are fixed to the door framing member 20, as by bolts 29. As

shown, the portions 28 are ofalength sufilcientto as m y fall within the scope of the appended insure that the operating knob 30 will not extend into the door space. Fixed to the plate 21, as by studs ii, is a reel 32. This reel is coupled to the adapter tube It, by a nut 33, and serves to actuate the antenna driving cable 8.

The reel itself is preferably of the general type disclosed and claimed in the copending application of H. J. Lyman, Serial No. 390,391, filed April 25, 1941. As the reel, per se, forms no claims.

I claim: Y

1. An actuating mechanism, for an automobile radio antenna, adapted for disposition in the 5 narrow space between the outside wall and the kick-pad adjacent the driver's position, said mechanism comprising a flat support member, the major portion of which resides in a'single plane, a reel carrying a flexible driving element part of the present invention, it need not be furfor the antenna secured to one side of said supther described except to point out that it is provided with inside and outside winding drums (identified as 34 and 35, respectively, in Fig. 5), in accordance with the disclosure of the said Lyman application. Inoperatlon, when the cable rotatably mounted on said member at its said' is wound in, the drum 34 serves as the winding drum and when the tape is thrust out, wall 35 cooperates with a channeled coverplate 38 to form a tape extruding drum. If desired, the cable 8 may be used as the electrical lead-in, in which case the reel element is insulated from its coverplate and a suitable contact element extends through said plate. This structure has not been illustrated and need not be further described,

as it is not important to the present, invention, pivoted lever am adapted to extend through. an-

port member and having a rotatable shaft extending to the opposite side of said member, a small pinion on said shaft at the said opposite side of said member, a large radius gear element nism adapted for disposition in the space between, the outside wall and th kick-pad adlacent the" driver's position, said mechanism comprisinga arcuate opening in the kick-pad and movable by the driver through an acute angle within the confines of the kick-pad area, and means operable by the movement of said arm through said angle to effect adjustment of the antenna from its fully retracted position to its fully extended position or vice versa.

'3. In combination with the side cowl portio of a vehicle body, a telescopic cowl antenna having a stationary tube vertically disposed within the narrow space between the cowl side wall and the adjacent kick-pad, said tube being of Substantial length to receive the movable sections of the antenna when they are retracted, a lever arm mounted on a horizontal pivot in the lower Portion of said space near the lower end of said tube, said arm extending through an opening in the kick-pad and being movable through a limited angle within the confines of the adjacent wall area, and means operable by the movement of said arm through said angle to efiect adjustment of the antenna from its fully retracted position to its fully extended position or vice versa.

4. In combination with the side cowl portion of a vehicle body, a telescopic cowl antenna having a stationary tube vertically disposed within the narrow space between the cowl side wall and the adjacent kick-pad, said tube being of substantial length to receive the movable sections of the antenna when they are retracted, a support member within said space adjacent the lower and of said tube, a reel on said member coupled to the lower end of said tube, a flexible driving element on said reel-connected to-the movable sections or the antenna, a drive pinion for said reel, a gear element of relatively large radius engaging said pinion and rotatably mounted on said support member, the gear ratio between said pinion and'said gear element being such that rotation of said gear element through a limited angle will eflect adjustment of the antenna from its fully retracted position to its fully extended position or vice versa, and an operating arm secured to said gear element and movable through the said limited angle within the confines of the adjacent wall area, said arm extending through an opening in the kiclg-pad and being readily accessible to an occupant of .the vehicle.

5. In combination with the side cowl portion,

of a vehicle body, a telescopic cowl antenna having a stationary tube vertically disposed within reel connected to the movable sections of the antenna, a small pinion on said shaft at said opposite side of said member, a large radius gear element rotatably mounted on said member at its 1 said opposite side and meshing with said pinion, the gear ratio between said pinion and said gear element being such that rotation of said gear element through a limited angle will effect adjustment of the antenna from its fully retracted position to its fully extended position or vice versa, and an operating arm secured to said gear element and movable through the said limited angle-within the confines of the adjacent wall area. said arni extending through an opening in the kick-pad and being readily accessible to an occupant of the vehicle.

JAY E. BARTH. 

